A mid-race Safety Car at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix split the field between green-flag pitters and those who gained a free stop. Andrea Kimi Antonelli used this strategic advantage to secure victory over Oscar Piastri. Tyre stability made a one-stop strategy the overwhelming favorite for the field.
The 2026 Miami Grand Prix was defined by strategic tyre management. Drivers who extended their opening stint on Mediums and finished on Hards, such as Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris, outperformed those who pitted early under a Safety Car and struggled with tyre degradation (the "tyre cliff") in the closing laps.
The 2026 Barcelona Grand Prix saw Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton secure victory using an aggressive three-stop strategy (S-H-M-H), effectively countering the conservative two-stop approaches of his rivals. By exploiting the pace advantage of the Medium compound in a critical middle stint, Hamilton dismantled the lead held by Mercedes' George Russell, highlighting the efficacy of compound offsets against high thermal degradation at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The 2026 Australian Grand Prix was dominated by Mercedes, whose decision to switch to a one-stop Medium-to-Hard tyre strategy under an early Safety Car allowed them to secure a 1-2 finish. Ferrari's persistence with track position backfired, while other teams struggled with high degradation on alternative tyre choices.